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END-OF-SESSION AWARDS: It's time for the end-of-session AroundTheCapitol.com awards! In addition to legislators of the year, I'm adding a few more categories. And, because of that, I need your help with nominations. Voting will take place next Monday-Thursday, and results will be announced on Friday, September 19.

Here are the categories (nominations not needed, as all will be included in voting):

Legislator of the Year: Senate Democrat

Legislator of the Year: Senate Republican

Legislator of the Year: Assembly Democrat

Legislator of the Year: Assembly Repubiican

Note that I have added a committee consultant category. A wise reader yesterday reminded me that committee consultants are non-partisan and thus don't fit in the legislative staff category.

Field Poll is out with numbers on the two health-related ballot measures on the November ballot. Applying conventional wisdom, both appear to be doomed.

Proposition 45 is supported by Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, who would gain veto authority over health insurance rate hikes. Proposition 46 is supported by trial lawyers and consumer advocates, who support the measures increase in medical malpractice pain and suffering limits and required drug testing of physicians.

Proposition 45 (Health Insurance Rate Changes)

Yes: 41%

No: 26

Undecided: 33

Proposition 46 (Drug Testing of Doctors/ Medical Negligence Lawsuits)

Yes: 34%

No: 37

Undecided: 29

Speaking of ballot measures, tomorrow is the deadling for counties to submit their random samples for the Six Californias initiative. The five remaining counties need to turn in validity rates of 66% for the measure to move to a full count. The measure currently has 67.96% validity.

BROWN BAGGING IT:Neel Kashkari scripts scene with Tesla and paper bags to poke Brown: "The symbolism was mixed. Kashkari did not drive. He got out of the passenger seat of the car, which he borrowed from a friend he declined to identify, and pulled from the trunk several bundles of brown paper bags. He said the bags were to draw a distinction between things Brown isn’t doing – getting Tesla – and things he is. Brown said last week he will likely sign legislation banning single-use plastic bags.

FORECAST:Joel Fox: So do the Democrats win the two-thirds majority again in the 2014 elections? "I believe either side could win this battle, low voter turnout being the Democrats' Achilles' heel," [Allen] Hoffenblum concluded.

THE BLING THING: The state Democratic Party kicked in $153,226 to Thousand Oaks councilmember Jacqui Irwin's campaign for AD44 yesterday, while an assortment of Democratic accounts loaded upLuis Chavez (AD32) with $123k. Meanwhile, the LA County Democratic Party sent a $60,000 love note Steve Fox's way.

#CAKEDAY: Happy birthday to Dean Murukami, Jenn Pae and Ben Tulchin!

**CLASSIFIEDS**

Join the Los Angeles County YoungDemocrats for our Annual Laurel Awards honoring Democrat of the Year Speaker Toni Atkins and Rising Star Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia. More Information and Tickets Available at lacyd.org/upcoming-events/2014-laurel-awards/

The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the stateÂs largest taxpayer rights group, has announced its recommendations for the November 2014 ballot.In California's most competitive races, the HJTA Political Action Committee's recommendations include: Pete Peterson for Secretary of State; Carl DeMaio and Jeff Gorell for Congress; Janet Nguyen for State Senate; and Tom Lackey, Ling Ling Chang, Rob McCoy and Young Kim for State Assembly.

In the final days before adjournment, the California Legislature addressed the shortfall in state higher education funding by restoring $100 million earmarked for the University of California and the California State University systems. Gov. Jerry Brown can ensure the higher education system gets this funding by signing Assembly Bill 1476.

The Board of Supervisors' three-member budget committee voted unanimously Wednesday to support a proposal to provide more than $2 million to fund immigration lawyers for youth facing fast-tracked deportation. The supplemental budget appropriation, which would provide $2.1 million total to be drawn from the $58 million in the city's general reserve, must still go to the full Board of Supervisors. Even if approved, Mayor Ed Lee would not be required to spend the money. "It's not done until it's done," said Supervisor David Campos, who authored the proposal. Campos was brought into the country illegally from Guatemala at age 14. "This is a modest amount given the extent of the need, but it's an important step," Campos said.

The two candidates vying for the critical 34th Senate District seat, which could determine if Democrats keep their supermajority in Sacramento, went head-to-head Wednesday, each trying to win the support of influential Orange County business and government officials.

The U.S. attorney's office rejected arguments that the lead undercover FBI agent in the case committed any wrongdoing and unleashed new evidence depicting Jackson as central to connecting the government's investigators to Yee and attempts to secure campaign contributions in exchange for political favors.

Many commentators look at the coming California elections with a yawn expecting little drama in most of the constitutional officer contests and little excitement amongst the public on the ballot measures. But, one thing insiders are watching with great interest is whether the Democrats once again can secure a two-thirds majority in both houses of the legislature.

A new Field Poll finds very low support for Proposition 46, which would lift California's cap on medical malpractice lawsuit damages, as well as mixed reviews for Proposition 45, to let the insurance commissioner veto health insurance rate hikes.

Pete Ricketts, the Republican candidate for governor, can replace former Lt. Gov. Lavon L. Heidemann as his running mate on the November ballot, the Nebraska secretary of state, John A. Gale, said Wednesday.

Five senators on Thursday urged Burger King Worldwide Inc. not to move to lower-tax Canada, accusing the company of trying to avoid paying its fair share for roads and other public services it receives in the United States.

San Diego -- The lawyer for a U.S. Marine held in a Mexican prison since April 1 on weapons charges said Wednesday that, after three evidentiary hearings, he was optimistic that he was close to a ruling that would free his client. "Although the trial is ongoing and there's evidence still pending, we feel optimistic and close to a favorable intermediate ruling," Fernando Benitez, attorney for Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi, said in a series of Twitter messages. Benitez spent Tuesday in an eight-hour hearing before a federal judge in Tijuana in which video from 18 surveillance cameras was shown from the night that his client was detained and then arrested.

A new online tool allows Californians to take charge of the state's water future. The California Water Challenge by the non-partisan group Next 10 asks residents to make choices about the state's limited water supply.